The capital of the Satavahana ruler Satakarni I was:

The capital of the Satavahana ruler Satakarni I was Pratishthana, identified with present-day Paithan, on the banks of the Godavari river in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) district of Maharashtra.

About Satakarni I:

• He was an early Satavahana ruler, who ruled in the 1st century BCE (some scholars place him in the 2nd century BCE).
• He extended the Satavahana kingdom over large parts of the Deccan, central India and Malwa.
• He performed two Ashvamedha sacrifices and a Rajasuya sacrifice, as recorded in the Naneghat inscription of his queen Naganika.
• The Naneghat inscription (in the Pune district of Maharashtra) is an important source for early Satavahana history.
• He is also mentioned in the Hathigumpha inscription of a contemporary ruler of Kalinga.

About Pratishthana (Paithan):

• It was an important political and commercial centre of the Deccan.
• It was on the "Dakshinapatha" trade route, connecting the north with the south.
• It was linked with western ports, such as Bharuch (Barygaza) and Sopara.
• The Greek text "Periplus of the Erythraean Sea" mentions it as an important market town ("Paethana").
• Paithan is famous for "Paithani" silk saris, with gold and silver threads.
• It is also associated with the 16th-century Marathi saint Eknath.
• The Jayakwadi dam on the Godavari is near Paithan.

About the Satavahanas:

• They ruled the Deccan from about the 1st century BCE to the 3rd century CE.
• They were also called "Andhras" in the Puranas.
• They later had another important centre at Dhanyakataka (Amaravati), in Andhra Pradesh.
• They issued coins of lead and potin.
• They encouraged trade with the Romans.
• They supported both Buddhism and Brahmanism.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Amaravati (Dhanyakataka) was a later centre of the Satavahanas.
• ✗Vidisha was a centre of the Shungas.
• ✗Ujjayini was a centre of the Shakas.